Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Memorial Day Delights~

It's finally here. The official start to the summer season, delightful Memorial Day Weekend!

This epic 3-day weekend brings the promise of sunny blue sky days, warm breezy nights, sandy toes and outdoor get togethers.  If you are thinking of entertaining this weekend, and want to avoid the usual stress, while offering your guests something more than burgers and dogs, may I suggest a few easy ideas?

Food~ Summer Veggie Flatbread
This flatbread pizza, smothered in colorful summer veggies and cheesy-garlicky goodness, is so simple to make and will surely impress your guests.
Inspired by my favorite summer pizza in Brazil!
What you'll need : 1 large clove of glarlic, chopped, 1 tablespoon of sweet cream butter, 1 pizza dough (from the grocer's deli), flour (for stretching the dough), 1/2 orange bell pepper sliced, 1 cup halved grape tomatoes chopped,  3/4 cup artichoke hearts,  2 large handfuls of arugula (I prefer full grown arugula for the peppery flavor, but I used baby arugula here), juice of 1/2 a lemon, 1 tbsp truffle infused olive oil, salt, pepper, 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella, 1 cup goat cheese, crumbled, parmesan cheese.


First preheat your oven to 475 degrees.  Stretch your dough. Some helpful hints for stretching pizza dough: drop it out of the bag onto a floured surface, coat in flour and poke with your fingertips to get out all the air bubbles. Next, take a floured rolling pin and roll it out (a few strokes in each direction should get it to about 12 inches around).  Then, pick up the dough and work around the edges with your fingers, pulling out gently, working your way into a bigger circle.  Now you're ready to throw it, always catch with the knuckles of your fists when throwing, to avoid puncturing the dough...if you do happen to make a hole, no worries, just pinch the hole closed!

Now that you have the dough stretched, put it on a greased cookie sheet, and shape to fit the pan.  I usually cut off some excess, to keep the crust nice and thin.  Brush with melted butter, sprinkle chopped garlic and half of your mozz and goat cheese right on the dough, sprinkle a bit of salt,pepper and parmesan and pop in the oven for about 7 minutes (or until the dough startes to get golden around the edges and cheeses get creamy).

While this is baking, put your arugula into a bowl, and toss in lemon juice and truffle oil with salt and pepper.  Once the dough is ready, take it out of the oven and top with tomatoes, peppers, artichoke hearts and remaining cheeses.  Pop back into the oven for about 10 more minutes (again, every oven is different, so keep an eye on it and make sure that the dough is nice and crisp without being burnt).  Once you remove it from the oven, transfer onto a cutting board and slice as desired, top with arugula when you're ready to serve. 


Drink~ Sangria de Cava
This is my all-time favorite summer cocktail.  My best friend introduced it to me a few years back, and I have used the recipe time-after-time for little summer fetes!

Light, effervescent, fruity and best of all, potent! I added more fruit to it than the original recipe, because who doesn't love more summer fruit!

What you'll need:
1 375ml bottle of Cava (or any sparkling wine), ¼ ounce Spanish Brandy, ¼ ounce Orange Liqueur, Splash of Sprite, 1 Orange, 1 Lime, 1 Ripe Plum, 1 Ripe Peach (I've also used pineapple), Cherries for garnish, Simple Syrup*

Cut orange and lime in half. Fill large pitcher with ice and combine the wine, brandy, liqueur, sprite, the juice of half of an orange and the juice of half of a lime. Stir. Add simple syrup to obtain desired sweetness. Slice remaining orange and lime into thin slices, slice peach and plum. Garnish glasses with orange, lime and cherry.

* To make simple syrup, combine one part water to one part sugar in small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Chill before use.

I usually serve this in a large pitcher with wooden spoon for stirring, and line up garnished glasses on a pretty tray next to the it for guests to serve themselves.  Mason jars are my obvious favorite glassware for this, but I also love the idea of using mismatched glasses, like the ones below.
Gold+Bee loves some vintage mismatched juice glasses!



Tablescape~ Bright Colors + Simple Whites
This summer, I am really into color, especially corals, turquoises, and blues. With a bright statement fabric I love to use simple white platters and white decorative props, to create a cohesive fresh look. Here, I used my vintage silk scarf I got at Brimfield a few weeks ago that I am obsessed with.  Think creatively for your table topper.  You don't always have to use a table cloth. Scarves, mismatched bold place mats, even just a square of fun fabric with stringy edges look adorable!

Make sure that you use different heights for platters, creating a dynamic visual presentation for your buffet. If this were evening, I would also add candles and a string of fun summer tiki lights!

CHEERS TO SUMMER 2012!!
Even Mae is ready for the summer party season!



The flatbread is the star of this party, and looks great served on simple white plates and alongside my favorite Kate Spade flatware!

Monday, May 21, 2012

Thrifting Texan style



Seriously surprised to have fould Houston quite the Mecca for thrifting.... wasn't planning to go out while down for a good friends' wedding this past weekend but had some unexpected time Friday- which I had gobs of fun filling up with my favorite kind of retail therapy!

First off, Houston is totally new to me, never been there before and so I had no clue what awaited me. I stepped off the plane and into the hot humidity, following the crowds I went down the escalator to baggage claim and met hoards of soldiers in military regalia alongside civilians waiting for someone to arrive... it turns out they were expecting the arrival of wounded soldiers. It was quite a grand welcome, a live band performing, flags waving, and lots of smiles and applause. While in baggage claim I thought about renting a car rather than super shuttling it to the hotel... good move...at only 6.99 per day for an economy car how can you go wrong?   I quickly typed in "antique Houston" into my iPhone browser and voila... I learned a little about the cool and apparently thrift- central Montrose neighborhood in southern Houston... which as it turned out was on my way to the hotel!

As I approached Montrose via Westheimer road, I saw signs for an estate sale starting that day! Clearly this was a sign that my afternoon was going to be fun. Oh boy... this looked like a good one....as I approached the little house I saw old massive doll houses from the turn of the century, old movie row seats on the patio, love them! but they don't fit in a suitcase. I rummaged through the many rooms of the smallish house, this lady was clearly a collector, pack rat, crafter, lover of the mystical, and around young children. Drawers and cabinets were still stuffed with random possessions, a lot of it junk but you never know what you'll find.  In the end I found items ranging from old plastic mermaid drink decorations to a giant bag of plastic insects ( perfect for a Gold And Bee activity), a funny Wonder Woman mug, some crafting supplies, and a few vintage kids toys. There were some super cool things that I had to pass up simply because of the suitcase factor.  Overall it was not bad, but moving on proved to be a good idea.

Heading down Westheimer I soon found the hub of shops that I was here for.  Walking down the street I found shop after shop packed with mid century furniture, pastel rainbows of vintage Pyrex, gorgeous old glass jars, kids toys from long ago, truly outrageous vintage ladies hats and clothing, and lots more... it was dreamy. I picked up a mint colored pedestaled dish that was too adorable to leave behind. Also found a great blue plastic desk organizer from the 70's that looked a little familiar and I instantly fell in love with. I went into another shop where I found an assortment of trucker patches, got one for Ami that read "daddy's girl" in machine embroidered cursive, and Rowan got one too that said "Bouncer".  Next off to a couple of great consignment shops where I found lots of great steals, found a vintage plaid western shirt for a fathers day gift, a cool vintage top that actually fit me,  and the find of the day..... Peggy Guggenheim repro glasses... Omg!

I love going thrifting in a new city. It is so cool to see the different stuff people have/ donate/ consign compared to where I live. I always find unique special things that remind me of the city and my travels.





Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Puppy Party-Makaela turns 7!

On Saturday afternoon, Gold+Bee turned Sonja and James' back yard into a puppy play-land in celebration of Makaela's 7th birthday. We had so much fun planning and decorating this one, that we absolutely could NOT WAIT for the festivities to begin! As guests arrived, Sonal helped to  puppyfy them (complete with face-paint ,and adorable felt and grosgrain ribbon puppy-ears).  Next, pint-sized guests played a bunch of fun games, including Pin-the-nose-on-the-Puppy, Scavenger Hunt for puppy items (including tennis balls, collars, sticks and bones!), and Puppy Rescue Patrol (a version of tag where players were placed in the Animal shelter once caught).

This energetic pack of pups had so much fun running around, that they also really enjoyed the refreshments...the biggest hit of the day was the cocoa-puffs in a dog bowl (looked just like kibble).  It was a blast to see how many kids stuck their face in the bowl to eat puppy-style!

Chocolate chocolate chip cake with marshmallow frosting was served along with pink lemonade.  Decor was a lovely color palette of silver, pearl, lavender and mint.  The color theme was carried throughout the hand sewn buntings, the goody bag hoop,  and balloons.  Dog images were added in every place possible.  It was a really fun day!  Thank you Makaela for having Gold+Bee at your celebration...woof woof!


Muslin goody bags were hand stamped with this Boston Terrier image that we just adored, and stuffed with puppy buttons and hair clips!
A festive animal shelter was created for the puppies who were caught by the rescue patrol.
Definitely the hit of the day...puppy chow!

Pin the nose on the puppy (we named the Boston Terrier Henry in honor of  Mr Henry Pancakes, my favorite Boston!)

Refreshing fruit on a stick to keep everyone energized!


Guess how many scooby snacks!!! 

Mocha showed up to be the mascot!

The dog pound...arf arf

Pup cakes :)

Dog bone and hydrant cookies for each guest to take home!
The birthday girl's little sister enjoying her popcorn with Melissa.

The Gold+Bee Ladies about to cut serve the cake


Friday, May 11, 2012

Mad Science - Laith is 5

Last weekend, among 27 of his closest friends,  Laith turned 5 at a Mad Scientist Themed Birthday party in his home. DNA Dana from Mad Science in Waltham proivided the entertainment for the birthday boy and his pint sized guests, including a rocket launch, cotton candy and goo making! With the science theme in mind, we custom created the entire event with a crisp silver and white back-drop complimented by explosive pops of neon color.  Some highlights of the celebration included the sparkling juices served in mason jars, the handmade bunting framing the goody bag table display, and hand-made party hats that looked like something out of a Dr Seuss book!  The birthday boy ended his bash, surrounded by Mom and Dad, and blowing out 5 candles on his double layer chocolate and cream cheese frosted cake topped with a vintage cartoon rocket ship.  The party was a spectacular way to blast-off Gold+Bee's Summer party season! Check out some snapshots below from the festivities :)

Hand-sewn bunting and goody bags with vintage space rocket fabric helped add a touch of 1950's birthday party nostalgia to Laith's big day!

The loot was displayed in mid-century apothecary jars, so guests could fill their own goody bags upon departure!
The table of yum!  Individual popcorn boxes, pigs in blankets and fruit skewers were easy to handle party food for little hands...

Mason jars with paper straws were a huge hit (green, spill proof and totally adorable!)
The birthday boy, Laith blowing out his candles while his mom, Alex looked on.

Rowan, giving us his best "Blue Steel" while modeling his Gold+Bee party hat! 

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Uh oh! Mama's day is Sunday!



Our mamas are our biggest fans, toughest critics, style icons, hilarious (without even trying), our very best friends and the coolest women we know (seriously, they have led incredible lives). And if you're anything like us, you want to show your super-mama just how much you appreciate her this Sunday.

But...sometimes it is hard to come up with a thoughtful gift, or to get something really special without breaking the bank. Below, are our Mother's Day gifts, that we hope inspire you for your own great gift idea!

Melissa's Tips!

Suzie and Melissa in 1980 

The Power of the Fresh Flower!
I don't know about you, but personally I detest pre-made bouquets at the grocery store, and the prices you pay for arrangements at upscale florist shops are a robbery. Whole Foods to the rescue!  They have a beautiful selection of nice flowers (no carnations in sight!) and they are great quality (long lasting, good colors).  This peony arrangement I made cost me $16.98 and I put them in an old tea cannister (bonus points for recycled materials used in unexpected ways...mason jars, coffee cans and milk bottles also work great for this!).



Give something she needs, that she'd never get herself!
My mother is a natural beauty and aside from a little drug store mascara and powder, she doesn't really wear make up.  But there is no excuse for what I witnessed on this year's family vacation. I caught a glimpse into my mom's makeup case and was horrified to see that she was using my old brush set from college (she will kill me for telling the world that). So I picked out this new glamorous set by Sonia Kashuk for Target, complete with wicker case (that can totally double as a cute summer clutch!). Instead of a gift bag, I spent a little more and picked up this gorgeous natural linen tote (bonus points for being Green!). I will also add some homemade berries n' cream muffins and a few hard to find design magazines in there too!

 

























She likes it when you make stuff!
No matter if you're 5 or 35, moms will cherish a handmade token of your affection (remember your macaroni art carefully displayed on the fridge??).  So channel your inner kid and make a nice little card for mom telling her how much you love her!  No need to get too fancy...some well placed glitter and a witty saying are all you need!

Sonal's Tips!


My Mom, Panna, August 1973
A gift that you can enjoy together is always sure to please...  take her out for dinner, or spend the afternoon shopping and getting mani/pedis, or even tickets to the movies.  This year I thought I'd add some spice to my Mom's  nail polish collection so I took a trip to Ulta and had a blast picking out some current colors as well as some classics.  I nestled them in a cute ceramic version of a strawberry pint container that I found at Anthropologie.  I mailed it out on time so she would receive it for the big day.  In my note I promised her a nail makeover on my next visit home.  I know she'll love it!





Wishing everyone a happy and bright Mother's Day from Gold+Bee!